Renowned chef Vishnu Manohar is gearing up to celebrate the Prana Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 with a grand gesture. He plans to prepare a special ‘Bhog Prasad’ offering of a delectable ‘Ram Halwa,’ totaling a staggering seven tons (7,000 kgs) in a massive cauldron.
For this extraordinary venture, Manohar has commissioned a new colossal steel cauldron weighing around 1300-1400 kgs, with a capacity of 12 tonnes. The cauldron, costing approximately Rs 8,00,000, will be transported from Nagpur to Ayodhya in a trailer truck for the auspicious occasion.
The ‘Ram Halwa’ will be crafted with an extensive array of ingredients, including 900 kgs of ‘rava,’ 40 kgs of cardamom and nutmeg powder, at least 300 kgs of dry fruits, one ton each of cow ghee and sugar, along with 2,500 liters of water. The preparation, named ‘Kar Seva se Paak Seva,’ will be manually stirred using a massive spatula, 10-12 feet long.
The culinary process is expected to take up to three hours, commencing at dawn, around 6 a.m. Once prepared, the ‘Ram Halwa’ will be offered as ‘Bhog Prasad’ to the idol of Ram Lalla, followed by distribution to around 1.50 lakh devotees and dignitaries attending the event in Ayodhya.
While the Shri Ram Temple Trust will bear the cost of the ‘Ram Halwa,’ Vishnu Manohar will personally cover the expenses for the cauldron as his humble contribution to the auspicious occasion. Although modern automatic options are available for such massive food preparations, Manohar emphasizes the significance of manual efforts for this special religious event.
The chef anticipates that this culinary endeavor may lead to a world record, yet he insists that any recognition should be credited to the Ram Temple Trust. The cauldron will be paraded in Nagpur, featuring religious rituals with the presence of dignitaries like Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and others, before being transported to Ayodhya.
Vishnu Manohar, with 38 years of culinary expertise, is no stranger to preparing colossal servings, having previously crafted massive quantities of various dishes for different occasions.
